Ex-Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq credits Virender Sehwag for changing 'Indian cricket's mindset'

Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq recently hailed ex-India opener Virender Sehwag, likening his aggressive batting with greats like Sir Vivian Richards and Zaheer Abbas. Mushtaq on his YouTube channel titled Saqlain Mushtaq Show credited Sehwag for changing Indian batting’s format and structure with his style of play. While speaking on his YouTube channel, the 44-year-old said, “Keep in mind the impact Virender Sehwag had on the world, the style in which he played, the brand of cricket he played, a lot of players from India benefitted from it. The manner of batting he showed the world, changed Indian cricket’s mindset and that of its cricketers”.

Further in the video, the former Pakistan spinner added that many Indian batsmen of today’s era have reached a certain mark only after what Sehwag did for Indian cricket. Sehwag, known for scoring runs at a rapid pace, had a strike rate of 82.2 in Tests, 104.3 in ODIs, and 145.3 in T20Is. Mushtaq also made comparisons between Sehwag and India batsman Rohit Sharma. He feels that Rohit must have learned a lot watching him play. The spinner believes that the ‘Hitman’ may have a slightly better record than the former India opener, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Sehwag. “Rohit’s stats may look prettier than Sehwag but Viru had a role behind it. He played for himself, the country and changed the thinking of the players that came after him,” Mushtaq said in the video. He added that before Sehwag only one or two players like Sir Viv and Abbas played the brand of cricket that he is talking about.